Industry reports series

Kyrgyzstan: Consumer Goods Market

November 2007

Author: Artyom Zozulinsky, Bisnis Representative in Kyrgyzstan

SUMMARY

The objective of this report is to provide U.S. companies with an overview of the consumer goods industry in Kyrgyzstan, current major projects and potential market opportunities. The information provided will be useful not only to U.S. exporters of physical goods who include domestic distribution in their business model, but also to exporters and investors who are assessing the market potential. This report also provides information about certification, registration and customs procedures, if applicable, and provides with the appropriate process description, government entities and documentation necessary to export consumer goods in Kyrgyzstan.

1. GENERAL MARKET OVERVIEW

1.1 U.S. – Kyrgyzstan market trade and statistics

Kyrgyzstan trade is mostly comprised predominantly of imports, since the country’s manufacturing industry is not very well developed. The recent years trends show that the share of imports is about 70 percent of the total trade turnover.

Kyrgyzstan Trade	2003	2004	2005	2006	2006 thru Oct	2007 thru Oct
Exports (US$ million)	581.70	718.80	672.00	794.10	643.70	926.20
Imports (US$ million)	723.80	904.40	1,195.20	1,998.31	1,565.1	2,183.2

Source: National Bank of Kyrgyz Republic (http://www.nbkr.kg), State Customs Inspectorate (http://customs.gov.kg)

Table 1. Kyrgyz Trade Indicators.

Some of the major trading commodities are listed below:

Commodity type	% of total Exports	Primary Destination Countries (in order of significance)
Oil and Gas products	25.2%	Afghanistan (11.5%), Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan
Precious Metals	20.0%	Switzerland
Food products and agricultural raw materials	10.9%	Russia, Kazakhstan
Automobiles, equipment and transport vehicles	10.5%	China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan
Textile & footwear products	9.2%	Russia, Kazakhstan
Total Kyrgyz Exports (US$ million)	926.20

Source: State Customs Inspectorate (http://customs.gov.kg)

Table 2. Breakdown of major Kyrgyz export commodities as of Oct. 2007

Though Table 2 shows that major export commodities are oil and gas, this does not imply that these products are produced locally. The oil and gas are imported from Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and exported by local entrepreneurs to Afghanistan. Switzerland is the export destination of gold that is produced locally by Canadian firm at the Kumtor deposit.

Commodity Type	% of total Imports	Primary Importing Countries (in order of significance)
Automobiles, equipment and transport vehicles	29.1%	USA (13.2%), Russia (4.5%)
Oil and Gas products	26.2%	Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
Food products and agricultural raw materials	9.7%	Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, China
Chemical products	8.5%	Russia and many others
Non-precious metals	5.5%	China, Russia, Kazakhstan
Total Kyrgyz Imports (US$ million)	2,183.20

Source: State Customs Inspectorate (http://customs.gov.kg)

Table 3. Breakdown of major Kyrgyz import commodities as of Oct. 2007

Trade between Kyrgyzstan and the United States is not very well developed, according to the U.S. statistical data, although local official sources rank United States as the second largest importing partner after Russia for the past 2 years. According to Kyrgyz official sources the imports to Kyrgyzstan from U.S. in 2006 amounted to US$ 356.8 million and as of October 2007 amounted to US$ 313.2 million. According to U.S. statistics, imports from USA to Kyrgyzstan amounted to $71.25 million in 2006, which is five times lower, than Kyrgyz data. The significant difference between US and Kyrgyz statistics may partially be explained by differences in the methodology of calculating trade flows.

For the past several years oil and gas products have been the major imported commodities until 2007. As of October 2007, automobiles and other transport vehicles, primarily imported from the United States, hold the largest share of imports. United States also exports insignificant amounts of chemical products and food products to Kyrgyzstan.

U.S. Exports to	2003	2004	2005	2006	2006 thru Jun	2007 thru Jun
CIS (US$ million)	3,693.91	4,833.01	5,867.16	7,082.05	3,413.15	4,862.26
Kyrgyzstan (US$ million)	39.06	29.67	30.88	71.25	19.58	25.81
% share of US Exports to Kyrgyzstan/CIS	1.06%	0.61%	0.53%	1.01%	0.57%	0.53%

Source: http://tse.export.gov

Table 4. U.S. Exports to CIS and Kyrgyzstan.

U.S. Imports from	2003	2004	2005	2006	2006 thru Jun	2007 thru Jun
CIS (US$ million)	9,810.16	13,969.94	18,640.11	24,120.87	11,578.41	11,255.94
Kyrgyzstan (US$ million)	10.98	10.80	4.62	4.24	3.24	0.86
% share of US Imports from Kyrgyzstan/CIS	0.11%	0.08%	0.02%	0.02%	0.03%	0.01%

Source: http://tse.export.gov

Table 5. U.S. Imports from CIS and Kyrgyzstan.

Tables 4 and 5 show, that the overall impact of Kyrgyzstan on trade between the USA and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is very low, although it might have a greater impact, if Kyrgyz official statistics is taken into consideration.

Industry analysis

Market of consumer goods in Kyrgyzstan had several stages of development. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was an overall boom of new consumer products flowing into the market. With low disposable income people could only afford to buy cheaper products, such as apparel and footwear manufactured in China, for example. More expensive products like automatic washing machines or TVs were not so popular, because most people could not afford these types of products. Nevertheless, the consumer goods market has been growing and developing over the years. The table below shows that the number of TVs, refrigerators and washing machines brought to Kyrgyzstan has increased by more than 5 times on average since 2002.

Import of	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
TVs (units)	5,679	20,616	21,963	33,642	50,625
Refrigerators (units)	7,395	10,869	13,860	14,866	31,290
Washing machines (units)	4,197	8,180	7,094	9,213	15,715

Source: National Statistics Committee, Consumer market of Kyrgyzstan 2002-2006

Table 6. Import of selected consumer products to Kyrgyzstan.

Apparel and footwear industry is the largest category in retail trade and comprises 26 percent of the total turnover of trade of non-food products. All open markets and shopping centers have an abundance of all types of apparel and footwear, most of which are brought from China and Turkey. For the past few years, the share of locally manufactured apparel products has increased and has become very competitive. Although there is an abundance of all products there are almost no licensed branded stores in Kyrgyzstan. Most clothes and shoes that have popular brands are counterfeit products. Branded stores market is only at its infancy and promises a significant potential for further investment and development. The consumer preference is directed to modern style shopping with a quality service and a pleasant atmosphere, where their time is efficiently spent. In addition, there is a growing demand for good quality apparel stores. The recently opened stores of United Colors of Benetton and Adidas are very popular among the local population. According to industry specialists, the retail market for apparel and footwear has been rapidly moving from bazaars to shopping malls for the past 3-4 years.

Most cosmetics products are imported from European Union and Russia. In March 2007 Avon, an U.S. cosmetics company started its operations in Kyrgyzstan. The share of this consumer goods category is very low – only 3.6%. Popular brands like L’Oreal, Garnier, Nivea, Gillette, and many others are all present on Kyrgyz market. The market of cosmetics and toiletries is very competitive. Thus the introduction and positioning of new products should be accompanied with a specific market entry strategy.

The market for consumer electronics has been growing steadily during the past 3 years and the growth trends will continue further with the increase of population’s disposable income. Multiple stores have opened during the past few years, particularly in the electronics consumer product category. Korean LG and Samsung, Turkish BEKO, Electrolux, Zanussi, Bosch, Siemens are some of the brands that are popular in Kyrgyzstan. Although most consumer electronics products are present at the market, there are still some niches that are not occupied yet. For example, there are no refrigerators with icemakers and stand-alone icemakers on the market, although ice has become a regular order in most restaurants. There are no US brands present in this segment of consumer goods.

Furniture comes from different locations – Turkey, Russia, China, and Italy. There are also some locally made furniture products available on the market. Occupying only 2 percent of the consumer goods market, this segment demonstrated a 60 percent increase in sales in 2006 comparing with 2005.

Jewelry products are very popular in Kyrgyzstan. Both, locally made jewelry and imported jewelry are available on the market. According to experts in this field, Kyrgyz jewelers process 500 kilograms of gold per year. Average production cost of 1 gram of golden jewelry is $3, not counting the price of gold and taxes. Share of imported jewelry is larger than the locally produced jewelry. It is hard to indicate a specific figure of how much jewelry comes into the country, because this particular category is largely undervalued during the customs clearance process. Large tax duties are associated with imported jewelry, including excise tax, VAT, and customs fees. Primary origins of imported jewelry are Russia and Turkey. There are several big jewelry stores in the capital, Bishkek, which are located close to each other. There are several individual jewelry stores in the malls around the city as well.

Demand Analysis

One of the indicators of demand for consumer goods is consumers’ purchasing power. It’s hard to rely on official income statistics, since it’s largely underestimated. One of the true indicators of increasing wealth is the number of automobiles used by the population. Based on the data of National Statistics Committee, the number of personal cars has been increasing at a higher rate than the population growth. This means that effectively more people now can afford to purchase vehicles with an average cost of $3,000 - $5,000. The capital Bishkek has the highest number of cars per 1,000 people, which is an indicator of wealth concentration in Bishkek. The increased number of traffic jams on the streets of Bishkek is another indicator of increased business activity and hence wealth.

Cars/Population	2003	2004	2005	2006
Personal cars	180,414	188,495	193,686	210,431
Total Population	5,065,000	5,120,500	5,166,400	5,217,500
growth in number of individual cars, % change per year	-0.58%	4.48%	2.75%	8.65%
growth of total population, % change per year	1.06%	1.10%	0.90%	0.99%

Source: National Statistics Committee

Table 7. Growth comparison, Individual cars and population.

The velocity of turnover is higher in Bishkek than in other regions of Kyrgyzstan. Over 40 percent of retail trade is concentrated in Bishkek. This results in the further development of Bishkek’s distribution networks and the increasing number of shopping malls and grocery stores.

1.2 Distribution Networks, Retail and Wholesale

Distribution networks are very limited in Kyrgyzstan. Over 70 percent of all retail trade still occurs in bazaars. Although Bishkek has progressed in this field and already has seven big shopping centers, other regions of Kyrgyzstan have not developed further to accommodate more retail facilities other than to have one or maximum two-story small general merchandise stores. There are four major bazaars in Bishkek. They include Dordoi market, Osh bazaar, Orto-Sai market, and Alamedin market. Dordoi market primarily specializes in apparel, but also combines all kinds of other consumer products, including food products. Osh bazaar is a major open market for food products, but also combines other consumer goods. Other markets are a mixture of food and non-food products. These bazaars range in size from 7.5 hectares (Alamedin bazaar) to 55 hectares (Dordoi market).

Dordoi market combines both retail trade and wholesale trade. Wholesale trade accounts to more than 80 percent of the total turnover of this bazaar. Most of the consumer goods that are imported for the northern part of Kyrgyzstan arrive to Dordoi market and then are distributed further to regional markets, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Karasuu bazaar is a wholesale hub for consumer goods in the South of Kyrgyzstan. The only way to bring consumer goods to these bazaars is by truck. Railway branches exist only in the Eastern and Western Industrial zones of Bishkek, in close proximity to Soviet type warehouses. Lots of consumer goods distributors use these warehouses for longer shelf-life products that do not need temperature control. There are very few warehouses with temperature control, and this segment is only at its infancy. After consumer goods arrive to wholesale hubs, they are being distributed to grocery stores, on street stores, malls, and boutiques.

The surplus business is not yet developed. This segment of market is not occupied and there is room for further development.

1.3 Market peculiarities

Apparel and footwear get old fashioned in the end of every season, thus merchandisers have to bring new products each season. Usually there is one delivery of clothes per season in the winter and fall, and up to two deliveries in the spring and summer. Chinese clothes - the cheapest clothes available on the market- have a more inelastic demand compared to Turkish or other European clothes carrying higher price tags. Prevailing share of imported clothes are intended for women. The rest are for men and children. Famous brands are popular, but in most cases they are counterfeit and don’t represent the actual brand. Nevertheless, more branded stores are opening, primarily with Turkish brands, and few European brands.

During the recent years the sewing industry of Kyrgyzstan has been developing quite rapidly. In 2006 Kyrgyzstan produced clothes in the amount of US$ 35.37 million, a 3 increase since 2005. According to experts, local products are gradually taking over the apparel market. Around 30 million units of apparel are being exported to Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries every year. About 150,000 people are involved in the sewing industry. Seamstresses now earn up to $400 per month. With its relatively low operational and labor costs, and its geographic proximity to an excellent export spot, such as Dordoi market Kyrgyzstan has become a real competitor to China in the apparel industry, both in price and quality.

1.4 Major Developments in the industry

In the past 5 years, there has been a real boom in construction of shopping centers in Bishkek. In 2003, Dordoi Plaza opened its facilities and combined a business center, a large grocery store and a new shopping center with a kids’ playground. It also has a 500-car parking lot.

Vefa Center introduced a huge food court, with multiple cafes and restaurants, as well as a two-screen Dolby Digital movie theatre. Tashrabat, which will open in the beginning of December 2007, will offer ice-skating in addition to all other common attractions. A 28,000 square meter megamall named Riom will open in Bishkek in 2008, and promises to be the center of all entertainment and shopping in Bishkek. Major shopping centers of Bishkek are listed below.

Major Retail Stores	Gross Leasable Area (sq.m.)	Rental rate MIN ($$/sq.m)	Rental rate MAX ($$/sq.m)	Year of opening
Zum	7000*	$ 25.00	$ 45.00	Soviet Union
Beta Stores	6000*	n/a	n/a	1999
Dordoi Plaza	8000	$ 25.00	$ 40.00	2003
Kids' World (Silk Way)	3000	$ 15.00	$ 25.00	2004
Vefa Center	7220	$ 30.00	$ 40.00	2006
Caravan	5200	$ 25.00	$ 25.00	2006
Tashrabat	6000	$ 30.00	$ 40.00	2007
Riom	26416	$ 30.00*	$ 40.00*	2008

Source: BISNIS

*- Estimated

Table 8. Major Shopping Centers of Bishkek

In the past 2-3 years, individual branded stores started to appear in Bishkek. Some examples include United Colors of Benetton, Koton, Adidas and others. Licensed branded stores are only starting to fill the segment of quality apparel with famous names. There is still a lot of room for further development.

American DollarStore plans to open its first store in Bishkek in the near future. This store will introduce an absolutely new concept for Kyrgyz people – a shop where price is known upon entry. This store will also be selling franchising right to interested businessmen to open new stores in Kyrgyzstan and other neighboring states.

2. PRIMARY DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

The most common distribution channels for consumer goods in Kyrgyzstan are:

Bazaars (open markets)
Shopping centers (malls)
Grocery Stores
Small kiosks and on-street shops
Specialized Stores

As mentioned, over 70 percent of retail trade occurs at bazaars. Many successful businessmen, involved in sales business have a container at the bazaar and a boutique in the mall, or an on-street individual store. This approach aims at satisfying two categories of consumer demand based on income and demand based on price.

Shopping centers have become very popular, due to consumer friendly and air-conditioned atmosphere and entertainment facilities. Major shopping centers of Bishkek are listed below.

Major Retail Stores	Gross Leasable Area (sq.m.)	Rental rate MIN ($$/sq.m)	Rental rate MAX ($$/sq.m)	Year of opening
Zum	7000*	$ 25.00	$ 45.00	Soviet Union
Beta Stores	6000*	n/a	n/a	1999
Dordoi Plaza	8000	$ 25.00	$ 40.00	2003
Kids' World (Silk Way)	3000	$ 15.00	$ 25.00	2004
Vefa Center	7220	$ 30.00	$ 40.00	2006
Caravan	5200	$ 25.00	$ 25.00	2006
Tashrabat	6000	$ 30.00	$ 40.00	2007
Riom	26416	$ 30.00*	$ 40.00*	2008

Source: BISNIS

*- Estimated

Table 8. Major Shopping Centers of Bishkek

Bishkek residents’ consumer preference has shifted from moving from one individual store to another, towards the convenience of one-stop shopping centers. Bishkek has several chains of grocery stores. The biggest and most popular chains of modern grocery stores are listed below.

Grocery Store Chains	Number of stores
Narodny	28
Stolichny	3
7 Days	3
Ramstore	1
Beta Stores	1
Total	36

Source: BISNIS

Table 9. Grocery Stores in Bishkek

Narodny chain of grocery stores has the biggest coverage of all residential and business areas of Bishkek, and has even expanded its operations into the provinces with stores in Osh, Jalal-Abad, Kant and Tokmak. Ramstore, a Turkish chain widely popular in Moscow, opened its first store in Bishkek in August 2006.

Small kiosks and shops will probably always be popular, since there are always places in town where big grocery stores, shopping centers or bazaars are not located. Therefore small stores, usually owned by one single family, will exist. It is likely, that this segment will not expand greatly in coming years.

Big specialized stores in Kyrgyzstan are not very common, although this industry is just starting to grow. The first example of such store is Kids’ World, which was previously the Silk Way shopping center. There are, several specialized stores for decorative items, construction materials and furniture in Bishkek. Recently, a medium-size four-story retail facility opened in the center of Bishkek. The store carries exclusively electronics products, such as computers, cell phones and others. MegaComfort, also a four-story facility, exclusively specializes in construction materials and items of interior décor. American DollarStore, which will soon open in Bishkek will be another example of another type of specialized stores.

3. REGULATORY PROCESS

3.1 Overview of Certification and Conformity Assessment System

The National Institute of Standards and Metrology of the Kyrgyz Republic KyrgyzStandard is the regulating agency for consumer products certification. A list of goods subject to obligatory certification is prepared by the National Institute of Standards and Metrology and approved by the government of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The following is the applicable legislation for regulating certification of consumer goods

Law of basic technical regulations of Kyrgyz Republic
Decree of the Government of Kyrgyz Republic # 639, dated December 30, 2005
List of products required for mandatory certification, approved by the Government Decree # 639
Procedure Regulations for mandatory certification of products, approved by the Government Decree # 639
Decree of the Government of Kyrgyz Republic # 8, dated January 11, 2006

There are over 2000 products subject to mandatory certification. All other products are subject to voluntary declaration of conformity.

As a member of the WTO Kyrgyzstan complies with all the conditions required from the member countries. CIS states have an agreement of mutual acceptance of certificates of conformity from the exporting country. Kyrgyzstan has similar agreements with EU and some countries in South Asia. Up to date there is no such agreement with the United States, which would allow Kyrgyzstan to admit, rather than to certify separately US products. United States Government is currently looking into resolving this problem.

The list of consumer products that is subject to mandatory certification:

Household electrical appliances;
Radio and electronic equipment for home use;

Plastic food dishes;
Packing materials for food products;
Molding clay for children;
Tires
Beauty products and perfumes;
Toiletries;
Paint and lacquer products;
Petroleum products;
Food dishes made of ferrous and non‑ferrous metals;
Mineral fertilizers;
Chemical weed-killers, pesticides;
Particle boards and veneer;
Furniture;
Wallpaper;
Porcelain and delftware/glazed products;
Non-cooking oils (aromatic, ether, etc.);
Cleaning products and detergents;
Semi-delftware and majolica/earthenware dishes;
Glass ware;
Assorted ware;
Polymer ware;
Household chemical products;
Flares and fireworks.
Linen fabric for children;
Knitted linen products for children;
Sewn linen products for children;
Garments/clothing for children (dresses, jackets, etc.);
Children shoes;
Toys;
Wool and semi-wool textiles for children's clothes;
Knitted garments for children; and
Outdoor clothing for children;
Yurts with canvas cover.

The National Institute of Standards and Metrology of the Kyrgyz Republic KyrgyzStandard” has a Center for accreditation, which role is to issue licenses to certifying organizations and monitor their activity. As of March 2007, there are 17 certifying organizations that received accreditation from the Center for Accreditation to issue certificates of conformity for different categories of products and services. The list of certifying organizations is available at http://nism.gov.kg/images/accredit_org.pdf. KyrgyzCertika is a state-owned enterprise that certifies most products, with the exception of medical products and construction materials.

3.2. Certification and Registration Process Based on Commodity Type

In general there is only one type of certificate required in Kyrgyzstan – certificate of conformity. Most consumer products can be certified by one single certifying organization, if the sphere of accreditation allows it to do so.

In order to get this certificate of conformity, certain categories of products might need to have an additional approval from an agency other than the certifying organization. Usually meat and food products in general have to go through Veterinary Department or State Department of Sanitation and Epidemiological Surveillance. All other consumer goods products can be certified by the accredited certifying agency. It is always recommended to consult with specialists from KyrgyzCertika or other certifying organization to find out whether the product needs to have additional approvals from other agencies.

The following State agencies are involved in the process of certification of all kinds of products. Their corresponding sphere is also listed below.

National Institute of Standards and Metrology (Kyrgyzstandard),

Sphere: Supervising body

197 Panfilova st.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 720040

Tel. +996 312 626870

Fax. +996 312 661367

Email. nism@nism.gov.kg

Web. http://www.nism.gov.kg/eng/

State Enterprise “KyrgyzCertika”

Sphere: Most goods (except medical and construction materials)

What it does: Issues certificates of conformance

197 Panfilova st.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 720040

Tel. +996 312 626870

Fax. +996 312 661367

Email. nism@nism.gov.kg

Web. http://www.nism.gov.kg/eng/

State Department of Sanitation and Epidemiological Surveillance under the Ministry of Health

Sphere: food products (except meat)

What it does: Issues Conclusion Decision, but NOT certificates

Isakov Tolo Baidalievich

General Director

535 Frunze st.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Tel. +996 312 66 11 07

Tel. +996 312 66 62 05

Email: dgsm@elcat.kg

Web. www.gsen.in.kg; www.med.kg

Veterinary Department

Sphere: Meat products

What it does: Issues approvals, but NOT certificates

Kubanychbek Attokurov

247 Budenogo st. (crossing Jibek Jolu)

Tel. +996 312 63 14 43

State Department of Medicine Provision and Medical Equipment

Sphere: Medicine and medical equipment

What it does: Registers and issues certificates of conformance

Jumalieva Nazgul Jumanalievna,

Chief of Registration Division

25, 3 Liniya Street (2nd Municipal Hospital),

Bishkek, 720000, Kyrgyz Republic

Tel/fax. +996 312 54 28 43

Reception +996 312 54 30 90

Web. http://pharm.med.kg

State Agency for Architecture and Construction under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (GosStroy)

Sphere: Construction materials

What it does: Issues certificates of conformance

28 Manasa st.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 720001

Tel/Fax. +996 312 21 75 53

Email. mail@gosstroy.gov.kg

Web. www.gosstroy.gov.kg

3.3. What to Expect During Certification Process

List of necessary documents for certification of consumer products:

Invoice
Waybill (CMR, railway, airbill);
Customs cargo declaration
Certificate of Origin
Quality certificate (from the manufacturer)
Contract

Associated costs

Depending on the complexity of testing process, the price for certification of one group of products is around 2,000 – 2,500 soms (approximately $60-$70).

If the importing country has an agreement of mutual acceptance of certificates of conformity with Kyrgyzstan, then the price of such certificate would be around $30.

Time frame

The usual time frame for issuing a certificate of conformity is up to 15 days, while certifying organizations usually finish within 5 days from the day of application. The process of admittance of foreign certificates doesn’t take more than 2 days from the day of application

3.4. Additional Information

Labeling requirements

Labels on consumer products should be in Russian and/or Kyrgyz

Certification/testing service providers

KyrgyzCertika

Tel.+996 312 66 48 03

Tel. (Consumer goods dept) +996 312 62 57 12

Web. www.nism.gov.kg

IPR protection

Kyrgyzstan IPR protection is very weak due to the lack of regulatory body to enforce the law. The country has a KyrgyzPatent organization, which issues patents and certificates and there is a prosecutor general, who enforces IPR protection when accredited regulatory body files a suit. A non-government organization AntiPirate has the objective to identify and further prosecute the manufacturers of counterfeit products. Unfortunately the organization has no clout, no legal power and no strong influence.

4. CUSTOMS REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Documentation

Below are the mandatory documents the consignee (receiving party) should have on hand before proceeding to the customs clearance procedure:

· Customs cargo declaration;

· Waybill (CMR, railway, airbill, etc.);

· Invoice;

· Certificate of origin;

· Contract;

· License on imported product (if required);

· Conformity certificate (if applicable).

Note: All of the documents should be in Russian or should have an official Russian translation.

4.2 Sample checks

Sample checks are not specified for Kyrgyzstan

4.3 Country of origin requirements

There are no specific country of origin requirements.

4.4 Quotas

Kyrgyzstan has not applied any quotas on its trading partners.

5. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES FOR U.S. COMPANIES

Apparel and comfortable footwear stores

With the growth in disposable income, the demand for comfortable apparel and footwear at reasonable prices has grown significantly. The quality footwear currently sold on the Kyrgyz market is priced 3-4 times higher compared to the market price elsewhere

Consumer electronics

US products are not currently present on the market. Quality US products might become a good competition for Korean and Turkish products.

6. USEFUL RESOURCES

6.1. Trade associations and information portals

American Chamber of Commerce, Kyrgyz Republic

Ms. Ainura Cholponkulova, Executive Director

Hyatt Hotel, Bishkek, Room no. 123

191, Sovietskaya Street, Bishkek 720011, Kyrgyz Republic

Tel: (996-312) 68 09 07

Fax: (996-312) 68 11 72

E-mail: director@amcham.kg

IBC (International Business Council)

191, Sovetskaya st., room 112

Hyatt Regency Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic

Tel. +996 312 68 02 62

Fax. +996 312 68 09 20

Email. ibc@ibc.kg

Web. http://www.ibc.kg

Kyrgyz Chamber of Commerce and Industry

107 Kievskaya st.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, 720001

Tel: +996(312) 210565, 210573, 210564

Fax. +996 312 21 05 75

Email. info@cci.kg

Web. http://cci.kg

National Statistics Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic

374, Frunze Street, Bishkek 720033, Kyrgyz Republic

Tel: +996 (312) 626084

Fax: +996 (312) 660138

Web-site: http://www.stat.kg

State Customs Inspectorate

4a, Baytik Baatyra st.,

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Tel. +996 312 51 06 51

Fax. +996 312 51 24 63

Email. papers@customs.gov.kg

Web. http://customs.gov.kg/content/start/Eng

Association of Markets of Kyrgyzstan

Ponomarev Sergei

Executive Director

Tel. +996 612 90 20 15

Email. sergpon@hotmail.kg

6.2 Customs brokers and certifying agencies

“B.D.A. Logistics” LLC

Director: Koylubaev Mars Kubanychbekovich

282a, Frunze, room 110

Tel. +996 312 69 68 68

Mob 1. +996 543 94 9999

“SVTS – Broker” LLC

4a, Baytik Baatyra st. (Customs Building), room 207

Tel./Fax. +996 312 51 19 61

Mob. +996 517 71 42 97

Email. svtsbroker@list.ru

Web. (Rus-lang) http://www.atb.kg/svts_broker.htm

Globalink Logistics Group

53, Aitmatova st. room 47, Bishkek

Tel. +996 312 68 06 02, +996 312 90 84 55

Fax. +996 312 68 00 74

Email. Bishkek@globalink.bz

Web. http://www.globalink.bz

“KyrgyzCertika”

Tel.+996 312 66 48 03

Tel. (Consumer goods dept) +996 312 62 57 12

Web. www.nism.gov.kg

6.3 USG Resources (local offices)

BISNIS Representative in Kyrgyzstan

Artyom Zozulinsky

171 Prospect Mira

Bishkek, 720016

Tel. +996 312 55 12 41, ext. 4403

Fax. +996 312 55 12 64

Email. Zozulinskya@state.gov

Disclaimer: The information provided in this report is intended to be of assistance to U.S. exporters. While we make every effort to ensure its accuracy, neither the United States government nor any of its employees make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of information in this or any other United States government document. Readers are advised to independently verify any information prior to reliance thereon. The information provided in this report does not constitute legal advice.

For more information on Kyrgyzstan, visit BISNIS online at http://bisnis.doc.gov/bisnis/country/kyrgyzstan.cfm

BISNIS (www.bisnis.doc.gov) is part of the U.S. Commercial Service (www.export.gov)

BISNIS Representatives in Kyrgyzstan: Artyom Zozulinsky (ZozulinskyA@state.gov)